“I’m fine,” she said.
She took a deep breath, determined to put on a cheerful face for the human. It was all her fault he was in this mess, and while she might be seventy percent positive that they were both about to die, she wouldn’t show that to him.
“It went well with the elders,” she repeated. “Everything will be fine.”
The look of disbelief on his face suggested she was doing a shit job of hiding her own fears. She made herself smile at him. “It’s the truth, Bren. You spoke well and -”
Anger flooded through her when she caught sight of the dragoness standing so closely behind her mate. She could smell Vorian’s interest in Bren and… was that the tiniest bit of lust?
Her dragon roared forward and she didn’t have a hope in hell of stopping it this time. She grabbed Bren’s arm, pulling him closer to her before glaring at Vorian. The dark-haired dragoness’s hand was still outstretched, and Kaida bared her fangs at her.
“Dare to touch him again and I will burn you where you stand, Vorian.” Her dragon growled out the threat, each word punctuating the sudden silence that had descended over the cabin.
Vorian’s fear washed over her and Kaida’s dragon snarled her victory. “The human is mine. Do you understand?”
Vorian stumbled back and nervously exhaled a puff of smoke. “Yes, Kaida. God, you don’t have to be such a bitch about the human.”
“Leave,” Kaida’s dragon rumbled. Her chest was growing hot and she knew the others could see it glowing through her shirt. She didn’t care. The human was hers and she’d kill any dragoness who tried to take him from her.
“Fine!” Vorian rolled her eyes and stalked away. The other dragons in the cabin – all of them had slowly been inching closer to Bren – backed away as well. The low hum of conversation began again. No doubt it was about her and her possessiveness over the human, but Kaida was too weary to care.
What did it matter if they knew she liked the human? She was about to be banished anyway.
“That was… unexpected,” Jarvis said.
Sika elbowed him gently before smiling at Kaida. “She is only curious about the human, Kaida. They all are. You know how rarely they get a close up look at humans without having to worry about being discovered.”
“He is not on display like an animal in a zoo,” Kaida snapped. Her dragon had retreated, and she spoke in her normal voice.
“It’s okay,” Bren said. “I don’t care.”
“They need to learn manners,” Kaida said.
“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Bren said. He glanced at the other shifters behind them. “Is this your entire clan?”
“Almost,” Sika said. “Some of our male yearlings are not here. They’re probably playing video games. Even the chance to see a human up close won’t tear them away from their stupid online games.”
“Sounds like they’re pretty similar to human teenagers.” The look on Bren’s face made Kaida’s chest ache.
“Did you – have you seen Tyler?” she asked.
His eyes reddened and he looked away. “We had dinner tonight.”
She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. It didn’t work. “I’m sorry, Bren.”
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “If you’re not banished, promise me you’ll watch out for him.”
“I will.” She took his hand. “I’ll keep him safe, Bren. I promise. And if I’m not around – Jarvis will look out for him. Won’t you, Jarvis?”
“Of course. Do not worry, human. Your brother will always be safe. You have my word,” Jarvis said.
“Thank you,” Bren said.
They stood in silence for almost a minute before Bren said, “So, how long does it usually take the council to -”
The side door opened and this time it was Bren’s hand that squeezed around hers as they watched the council members file back into the room. The other dragons quickly returned to their seats.
Her dragon pacing restlessly within her, Kaida dropped Bren’s hand but tried to smile at him. It came out as a grimace. Bren was incredibly pale, but he walked with her toward the council’s table with his head held high and his back straight. Her dragon puffed with pride at how brave their mate was.
“We have made our decision,” Walter said when they were standing before him and the other elders.
Suddenly not caring what the elders or anyone else in the clan thought, Kaida reached out and took Bren’s hand. He linked their fingers together, his gaze trained on Walter and the others, but his thumb rubbing along the length of her thumb.
Kaida took a quick glance at Cadmus. Like the other elders, his face was serene and gave away nothing. He wouldn’t allow her to be banished or Bren to be burned, she had to believe that.
“In the matter of Kaida’s banishment, the council has decided to allow her to remain with the clan. While involving humans is obviously not ideal, the council believes she acted in the best interest of Sika and her hatchling and only involved the human out of necessity.”
Bren’s hand clamped down on hers and the look of pure happiness on his face made her chest ache again. It was her fault he was even here, but there was no animosity from him, only pure joy that she wasn’t going to die.
He is our mate. The surety in her dragon’s voice left no room for doubt.
The cabin was filled with the rough purrs of happiness from the rest of her clan members. She felt an overwhelming surge of love for her clan that left her weak and shaky. Bren glanced behind them at the clan before smiling again at her.
She took a deep breath and nodded to him. Her dragon was purring loudly to her clan and her unease was disappearing. The council would let Bren live. They would not sentence him to death when he’d played such a clear part in helping Sika and the hatchling. To allow her to live and condemn Bren to death would be grossly unfair.
Walter held up his hand and the purring of her clan died out. “In the matter of the human, the council did not make this decision lightly. Our way of life is threatened when a human discovers who we are. In this particular case, the threat is doubled simply by the nature of who this human’s father is.”
Walter’s gaze landed on Bren, his golden eyes unwavering. “We appreciate what you have done for our clan, human. The support you offered to Sika and her hatchling was a gracious and generous gesture and quite unexpected from a human. We will never forget your kindness, but your continued existence is a threat to ours. Therefore, the council has voted to end your life.”
Kaida stared in stunned silence at Walter. Behind her, she could hear the murmurs of her clan. The air had turned to molasses around her and she slowly turned to face Bren. The colour had leeched completely from his face and a look of resignation covered his features.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles. “Remember your promise, Kaida. Keep Tyler safe.”
Jarvis jumped to his feet. “Elders, I ask you to reconsider your decision. This man saved the life of my mate and my hatchling. If not for him, they would -”
“We are well aware,” Ryul said. “You made your case earlier for the human, Jarvis. The council has made its decision and it is final. Bones, take the human into the forest.”
Her ears ringing and her stomach rolling, Kaida turned her gaze to Cadmus. The elder sat at the end of the table, his hands folded in front of him and that same serene look on his face.
“Cadmus!” Kaida’s voice rose above the babble of other voices. “Cadmus, overrule their decision. Now.”
Ryul’s eyes widened. “You dare to tell the high elder what to do? Watch your tongue, Kaida. We may have spared you from banishment but that does not mean we will allow you to speak without consequence.”
Kaida ignored the older dragon. Still holding tight to Bren’s hand, she said, “Cadmus, what is wrong with you? Killing the human is wrong. You know that! Do not -”
Her dragon growled out a warning and Kaida whirled around. Bones was approaching
Bren, and she immediately stepped in front of Bren, hooking her arm behind her body and sliding it around his waist. She pulled him forward until his chest pressed against her back and she could feel his breath puffing against her hair. “Don’t come any closer, Bones.”
Bones stopped a few feet away. “You know this isn’t what I want, Kaida. The human doesn’t deserve to die. But I serve the elders and as protector of the clan, I vowed to follow the council’s decisions. I cannot and will not break that vow. Not even for you.”
Her dragon surged forward and there was a collective gasp of surprise from the clan when her chest glowed, and she blew out a hot burst of flame. “We are friends, Bones, and have been since we were yearlings. But touch the human and I will end your life.”
A hard light shone in Bones’s eyes. “Do you challenge me, Kaida?”
“She doesn’t.” Sika spoke quickly, fear making her usual low voice high-pitched. “Of course, she doesn’t. Kaida, you must release the human now. Please, sweetie.”
She fixed her gaze on Sika and her best friend took a step back. “Kaida?” she whispered.
“Leave, Sika,” Kaida’s dragon demanded. “Take your hatchling and leave this place for your safety and his.”
“Kaida.” Bren’s arm slipped around her waist and he pressed his mouth against her ear. “Don’t, honey. It’s okay. You don’t have to do this.”
“You are mine.” Her voice was thick and almost incomprehensible. “You are mine, and he is not taking you from me.”
“Do you challenge me?” Bones repeated.
“Yes,” Kaida said.
“Kaida!” Drago’s voice rang out over the horrified gasps of her clan. “Do not speak so foolishly.”
He moved toward her, stopping abruptly when she growled at him and blew another burst of flame in his direction. His face sweating from the heat, Drago said, “You cannot defeat Bones in a challenge. Hell, you’ll be lucky if you survive. Bones will defeat you - probably kill you - and the human will die anyway. Step away and give the human to Bones.”
“I always knew you were a coward, Drago,” Kaida’s voice rumbled out of her chest.
He flushed bright red, smoke pouring from his nostrils. “And I always knew you were an emotional fool.”
She growled at him before turning her attention to Bones. “Come, old friend, it’s time I taught you a lesson in manners.”
Bones bared his teeth at her in a ferocious grin. “Are you sure this is what you want, Kaida? Does the human mean that much to you that you are willing to have your ass handed to you in front of the clan? To have the clan watch you beg for mercy?”
Her dragon roared with rage. “We will see who begs for mercy, Bones.”
Bones’s grin widened and Kaida could feel the delicious fire of her dragon’s fury in her very bones. Her dragon was itching to fight, and Bones would be a worthy opponent.
“Kaida, no,” Bren said into her ear. “You’re not doing this for me. You’re not being injured or dying because of -”
The door to the cabin burst open and Brandon and Matalis ran into the cabin. At fourteen and fifteen, they were the youngest of the yearlings. Still keeping her arm around Bren’s waist, Kaida watched as Brandon staggered to his father.
“Brandon? What is it?” Rokan put his arm around the yearling’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Brandon stared up at him, his lips trembling and his golden eyes huge in his face. “Dad, I… we…”
“What?” Rokan said.
His face a mask of shock, Matalis held up the tablet he carried in his right hand. “He-he was on TV and online. He outed us.”
“What are you talking about, Matalis?” Javee moved toward Matalis, taking the tablet from his hand and scanning it.
“The humans,” Matalis whispered, “have proof that dragons exist.”
Chapter Seventeen
“What did you do, human?” Drago pushed forward and pulled Bren out of Kaida’s grip. He swung Bren around, fisting his hands into his shirt as he exhaled smoke in a thick cloud into Bren’s face. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Bren snapped.
Coughing, he shoved Drago away as Kaida growled out a warning. “Don’t touch him again, Drago.”
“Your stupid human has betrayed you,” Drago said. “He has exposed us to the rest of his kind and -”
“I didn’t,” Bren said. “I haven’t said a word to anyone, you asshole.”
“Asshole?” Drago sucked in a gulp of air. His chest was glowing red beneath his shirt and Bren was certain he was about two seconds away from being roasted alive.
“Drago, enough!” Cadmus’s voice rose above the panicked hum of the other dragons.
Snarling under his breath, Drago turned away. Bren took Kaida’s hand. She looked sick to her stomach and her pupils were blown so wide, there was only a thin golden ring surrounding them.
“What does it say, Javee?” Bones asked.
For the first time since he’d met the dragon shifter, Bren could hear unease in Bones’s voice and see worry on his face.
Javee stared grimly at Bones before handing the tablet back to the teenager named Matalis. She pushed her way through the other shifters and opened a cabinet built into the wall of the cabin. It hid a large screen TV, and Bren and Kaida joined the others as they crowded around the screen.
Javee turned the television on and flipped to the local news station channel. They all watched in silence as the local newscaster said, “Once again, here is the footage captured earlier this evening by multiple viewers in downtown Los Angeles. A note of caution – this unaltered footage contains images that are graphic and unsuitable for younger viewers.”
The screen turned to the shaky and unstable video from a cell phone. The image was crystal clear, and Bren stared at the naked man standing at the top of an office building. The camera zoomed in on the man’s pale face that seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun.
Gasps of dismay and fear rippled through the dragons, and Kaida’s hand grew so warm in his that his palm tingled.
“Well, fuck,” Bones said.
“Is that Norris from Belinda’s clan?” Sika asked.
“Yes,” Walter said. Like the other elders, he had joined the dragons around the screen. He glanced at Cadmus who was standing next to him. “We received word two days ago that he’d been banished from the clan.”
“Why was he banished?” Sika asked.
“Holy shit!” Jarvis said.
Bren turned back to the television as more gasps of dismay reverberated through the clan of dragons. The naked man’s body was bulging and changing, and they watched in horrified silence as he shifted. The person holding the cell phone swore in surprise and Bren could hear screams of fear and disbelief from the people watching on the street.
A dragon, his orange scales gleaming in the sunlight, stood on the building. He was massive in size with a row of dark rust coloured spikes running down the back of his neck, along his spine, and down to the end of his tail. He unfurled his wings, blotting out the sun above him, and more terrified screams could be heard from the crowd on the street below.
With a heavy flap of his wings, the dragon rose into the air. The camera followed him, watching as the dragon flew in a large circle before diving and dipping through the air. He skimmed across the top of a neighbouring building before landing on the roof of the office building again.
He took a deep breath, his chest turning to a deep rich reddish orange before he blew out a truly terrifying blast of flame. The man holding the camera stumbled backwards, the dragon slipping out of view for a second as the lens was aimed at the people on the street.
They were staring up at the dragon with a mixture of fear and confusion. When the dragon roared, the man swung the camera back up. Bren swallowed down the dizzying sense of vertigo, focusing his gaze on the dragon as it stomped back and forth on the roof.
The dragon stopped and blasted out another lungful of flame before
shifting back to his human form. He stood on the side of the building and grinned at the crowd below him.
“There are many of my kind!” he shouted. “Those of us who are born of smoke and flame. We are… everywhere.”
“What is Norris doing?” Sika said as the man stepped closer to the edge of the building. “What is he… oh no!”
Kaida made a low sound of pain as Norris, with a final grin to the crowd, swan dived off the building. He hit the sidewalk headfirst, the force of his impact smashing his skull apart and his brains splattering across the sidewalk.
“Oh my fucking God,” Jarvis said as more screams echoed across the video. “Oh my fucking God.”
The view on the screen switched back to the newscaster. His face and voice solemn, he said, “Today marks a momentous occasion. Long thought to be nothing more than an insane conspiracy theory by a few deranged individuals, we now have irrefutable proof that dragons exist.”
“Oh shit, this is so fucking bad,” Jarvis said.
The newscaster cocked his head, his hand coming up to touch his ear. “Folks, we’ve been given some new information. It seems that the dragon posted a list on social media of what he refers to as ‘dragon clans’ with their locations.”
The newscaster stared straight ahead at some unseen prompter and Bren’s stomach dropped when he said, “We have no idea how many dragons are in each clan and local authorities are cautioning humans and shifters alike to steer clear of the dragons. The following clans have been identified, the Belinda clan of the city of Los Angeles, the Makeda clan of the city of San Francisco, the Avena clan of the city of New York -”
“Please no,” Sika whispered. She was holding her baby close to her chest and she gave Jarvis a frightened look as he put his arm around her.
“The Borthala clan of the city of Cheyenne,” the newscaster droned on, “the Havana clan of the city of Portland, the Cadmus clan of the city of -”
The horrified shouts filled the large cabin. The room was growing increasingly warmer and Bren could see the chests of more than one dragon glowing bright red. Kaida’s hand was squeezing his so tightly, he’d lost all feeling in his fingers.
The Dragon's Mate (Book Seven) Page 20